But despite this, as many as nine in ten people are unaware on the link between alcohol and cancer.

‘Mixed messages’

The researchers said consumers are provided with mixed messages on recommended units, glasses and volumes of alcohol, so they are calling for a unified approach to the provision of clear and consistent information.

Digestive health expert Professor Markus Peck, a member of UEG’s public affairs committee,, said; “One of the main challenges in addressing high drinking levels is how deeply embedded alcohol consumption is within the European society, both socially and culturally.

“Political action like minimum pricing and reducing access to alcohol needs to be taken now to prevent many future casualties.

“Research then has to follow to help generate data and allow us to fine-tune future political activity”.

The report said France is leading the way with stricter marketing coupled with regulations for drinking at work. This has led to a decline in alcohol consumption and cases of digestive cancer as a result.

Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), said: “These findings show clearly that because of current consumption levels in Britain we are some of the most at-risk people for developing these types of cancers.

“This is not surprising when enough alcohol is sold in England and Wales for every drinker to consume 50% more than the weekly limit recommended by the UK’s chief medical officers.

“Alcohol is a group one carcinogen and while the evidence shows any level of drinking increases cancer risk, this risk increases in line with the level of consumption.”

The AHA says alcohol-related health harm is so great, and awareness of the link between drink and cancer so low at just 10%, that alcohol manufacturers should be forced to put health warnings on the labels of cans and bottles.

Minimum pricing

It is also urging ministers to organise sustained campaigns to alert the public to the dangers of drinking and to introduce minimum unit pricing, as Scotland is seeking to do, in order to reduce overall consumption and damage to health.

Dr Lisa Wilde, director of research at Bowel Cancer UK, said about 11 out of every 100 cases of bowel cancer are believed to be linked to alcohol.

She said: “We know that 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year, it’s the fourth most common cancer in the UK.

“There are several known factors that increase your risk of getting the disease.

“Some of these are things you can’t do anything about, for example, age and genetics.

“But you can make changes to your lifestyle to help stack the odds against bowel cancer.

“As well as cutting down on alcohol, also being a healthy weight, taking more exercise and stopping smoking will make a real difference.”

Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies introduced strict new boozing guidelines last year with a man’s recommended weekly limit now 14 units, or six pints - the same as for women.

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